Buried Soul
by Izzu
Summary: A ficlet centered on Lelouch's past as to how it probably started. Lelouchcentric
1. Chapter 1: The Assasination

az: Somehow I had wondered about the plotlines that had shaped Lulu in the past and how it affected him in the future. Probably gonna be of several shots. I'm either updating this or the Gakuen Alice ficlet depending on the bunnies. And I loved this fandom... and it's a good try to divert me while waiting for the conclusion of the first season.

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Disclaimer: Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch is copyrighted by Sunrise as well as character designs by CLAMP. I'm only borrowing the fandom for the sake of the fic and the love of it.

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Buried Soul

Chapter 1: The Assasination

by honou-no-izumi alias Izzu alias Izumi Ishtar

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CRASH!

Lelouch jerked off from sleep as he realized that he had taken a longer nap than he had planned. He glanced around the study as he noticed that his private tutor was not in sight. He was alone in the large study room.

And what was that crashing sound just now?

Lelouch cautiously got off from his chair and walked towards the exit. He inched a little to catch the door knob and twisted it as he pushed the door open with all of his strength. Someone suddenly let out a scream that shook his entire being. Lelouch jumped as the great oak door behind him slammed shut with a loud bang. Why? Why suddenly... he had this feeling of ill foreboding? Like something terrible was about—no, something terrible was going to happen!

He started to walk towards the direction that he thought the sound came from. Another scream broke the silence in the large mansion. Lelouch suddenly realised that his heart started to beat a lot faster.

RAT-TAT-TAT--!

Lelouch froze. More screaming reached his ears. What was going on? It felt like waking up into a nightmare. Lelouch started to run. A thousand questions hovered inside of his mind. Was the mansion been under attack? Did robbers break in? But that cannot explain the gunshots! Yes... that earlier sound must have been the sound of gunshots! Couldn't be firecrackers... isn't it? Come to think, does any one around here actually had a mind to play with firecrackers in broad day light? A commoner might do it for fun but for nobles like him? Even the servants weren't that bold enough to make such a racket for fear of being thrown out of the mansion.

More shouting and more sounds of gunshots. Lelouch started running even faster, as much as his legs could carry him. Alarm was all over his face... for he could register whose voice that he had just heard. His mother's—!

Lelouch stopped in his tracks as his eyes caught sight of the fleeting figures from the side windows. He walked towards it as he saw some of the servants running away in fright. As if something terrible was inside the mansion and they were fleeing away as far as they could. Never mind that they were supposed to serve their master, him... his sister Nunnally and his mother of course; and value the lives of the masters before their own. That's what servants were supposed to do right? Else they wouldn't have agreed to offer their service for the nobles.

Alas, it was no use to compare these servants as to trained soldiers, who would put their lives on the line to protect the master whom they served. He... as well as the rest of the family; were after all part of the royal family of Britannia.

Lelouch frowned as he saw no signs of his mother. Or even Nunnally. Lelouch pulled himself away from the windows and continued running along the various corridors.

Even if there were some emergencies, weren't they forgetting something? Him! Perhaps as the eleventh prince, the seventeenth in line of succession to the Britannian throne, his position was not that important. But to leave a child alone in a place where there might be danger lurking about and no one to protect him? Preposterous! And to think those servants were mostly adults and him being a child of under ten! Shouldn't they be thinking of this rather than him?

xxx

The screams and gunshots kept nagging on his mind. Was everyone all right? His mother... and Nunnally? And why on earth there were so many hallways and stairs?

"Mother? Nunnally! Where are you?" shouted Lelouch as he frantically ran towards the direction of the main halls.

And finally, after running so hard... Lelouch saw the staircase that leads down towards the hall. Finally he—a sudden barrage of gunshot was heard as the sound was almost deafening to his ears. A scream full of anguish came after as Lelouch realised in horror to recognise that one of them belonged to his mother. Another cry among the chaos that he caught, this time it sounded younger. It was Nunnally's voice!

His heart stopped. His legs moved mechanically down each steps as he approached the halls. Several nobles and servants who had not already ran off outside, breezed pass him as he ignored them. At the middle of the stairways, he stopped. His eyes immediately trained towards the limp figure at the several feet before the stairways. His mother, Marianne Vi Britannia lying lifeless at the edge of the stairs as pools of blood started to form underneath her. Underneath her, he noticed... was his sister, Nunnally lying on the floor. Still alive but was in great shock.

Young Lelouch looked up towards the man who had shot her mother in both horror and anger. The man was wearing a mask that covered his face and dressed in some sort of a uniform. Lelouch glanced down towards the man's hand. The one that was holding the gun that took the life of his mother. And slowly, as in a slow moving play... Lelouch realised that the man's hand had slowly moved upwards and pointed towards him. He could even barely see the man smile underneath that mask. Lelouch had barely noticed that he was now alone again as the rest of the panicking nobles and servant escaped towards the upstair's hall.

"Why—? Mother... why?" asked the young prince in a daze as several other people dashed into the hall.

"Lelouch! Watch out!", someone shouted as he saw the assassin flinched after his hand got shot by the incoming royal guards. The man fled as the guards chased after him. Lelouch glanced back towards his mother's limp figure as another man walked by and knelt over his mother. It took a while for him to recognise the man as his half brother, Schneizel El Britannia. The second prince of the Britannian royal family.

The sight of his half brother prompted him to start moving again. Young Lord Schneizel glanced up towards him as Lelouch stared at him blankly.

"Elder brother Schneizel? Mother... what happened to mother?" he asked as his feet missed a step. Lelouch started feeling the gravity pull on him before the sensation stopped. He glanced around as his eyes settled towards a very concerned look of his elder half sister.

Young Lady Cornelia helped him stand again as she embraced her younger half-brother. Cornelia kissed him gently on his forehead.

"Lelouch? Are you hurt? You're not hurt... aren't you?" asked Cornelia in concern as she fought the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Lelouch shook his head.

"Cornelia-sis? Why are you crying—?" asked the young prince as he glanced back towards the bottom of the stairs. Schneizel had already carried the now unconscious Nunnally into his arm as he closed Marianne's lifeless eyes shut. He glanced up silently as his eyes met Lelouch's.

"What's wrong with mother... Cornelia? Schneizel? Why is mother not moving... Cornelia-sis, mother's hurt. We should get somebody to treat her—" said Lelouch again as he tugged on Cornelia's sleeves. Partly to make her move away... partly to make her release him so that he could tend to mother.

Cornelia made him sit on the stairs as she wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "Lulu... there's no use. Your mother... Lady Marianne is—"

Lelouch blinked. He glanced back towards his mother's figure. On the pool of blood. And somehow in the calamity of his chaotic mind, he recollected several excerpts from some of the books that he had read during his leisure. His mind reverted back towards a piece of old memories of when he had found his pet kitten dead after an accidental fall from the room on second floor...

Lelouch glanced back towards his half-sister in brief denial. Cornelia's saddened look started to dawn to him towards the realisation that he had so much dreaded.

"No... mother can't! No, it can't be true—" cried the young prince as Cornelia pulled him into another embrace. Lelouch started to cry as Cornelia held him firmly close. She herself started to cry again as she heard Lelouch's muffled screams of anguish against her. Schneizel frowned as he got up to the stairs and sat beside Cornelia.

He placed a hand on the boy's head as he tried to extend his support over his youngest brother for the lost of his mother...

xxx

Schneizel stood as he watched the attendees carry Lady Marianne's body away. He turned towards the guards as the men stood on full alert.

"Did you catch the assassin?"

The leader of the guards shook his head as Schneizel frowned. "The intruder disappeared as soon as we chased him past the compounds of the mansion. We had tried searching the area. The assassin probably had accomplices along side with him."

"Very well. Increase the security around the area. Though I doubt that the assassin will return, the fact that an intruder had managed to pass through the palace is a matter of highest concern. You are dismissed." said the prince as the guards excused themselves.

Cornelia glanced up towards him as Schneizel turned towards her. "Look after Lelouch. I'm taking Nunnally for treatment—" he said as the second prince left the halls. Cornelia sighed as she glanced towards the sleeping Lelouch. Earlier trauma had caused the young prince to fall unconscious after crying himself out. She ran her hand over Lelouch's head before slowly carried him on her back. She rose as she started towards the upstairs' bedroom. Several of the servants came out as they hurriedly tried to clean the blood stains from the floor.

Cornelia gave them a fleeting glance before walking away altogether.

Today had been such a bad day. A very... bad day.

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az: Yeah... I just have to be such a wussy. Every fandom that I fall deeply in love with will always ended up with me to make at least an offering ficlet for it. I guess I'm a sucker...

Edited, as I realised there should be more ppl who were there at the time Marianne was shot. Rewrote a line on Emily's suggestion. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2: Neglected

az: continuing these since it kept bugging my mind... the anime and if I din do anything... the wait for the last two eps gonna kill my sanity... and you know... my bunnies even go as far towards and AU possible development on the story. Aaaaargh...

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Disclaimer: Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch is copyrighted by Sunrise as well as character designs by CLAMP. I"m only borrowing the fandom for the sake of the fic and the love of it.

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Buried Soul

Chapter 2: Neglected

by honou-no-izumi alias Izzu alias Izumi Ishtar

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"_Mother... mother! Where are you going?"_

_Lady Marianne just smiled at him as she walked away. Lelouch frowned as he chased after her. But no matter how hard he ran, the distance between him and his mother continue to grow farther and farther..._

"_Mother wait!"_

xxx

"Mother!", Lelouch shouted as he rose from the bed. His breath came in short gasps as he took a long breath to calm himself down. He glanced around as he found himself inside his own bedroom. Lelouch sighed.

"Lulu! Are you all right?"

Lelouch gave a startled cry before noticing his half-sister sitting nearby. He shook his head.

"Euphie... what are you doing here?"

"I'm worried about you—"

Lelouch blinked before noticing another presence approaching them. Looking at Cornelia's solemn face, the young prince gave a sigh of defeat.

"It... wasn't a dream, wasn't it? Mother is dead."

Little Euphemia frowned a little at seeing Lelouch's gloomy face. She shrugged to herself as she climbed onto the bed and wrapped her arm around the young prince. Lelouch turned around towards her as he gave her a puzzled look.

"Euphie... what are you doing?"

Euphie pulled away as she cocked her head at him. "You looked so sad. So I gave you a hug to make you feel better! Did Lulu feel better?" chirped the pink-haired princess as Cornelia patted Euphie's head adoringly. The elder of the two princesses smiled weakly to him.

"How are you feeling now, Lelouch? I know it's hard but if I could, in place of Lady Marianne—"

Lelouch shook his head.

"Elder sister... it's okay. You don't have to worry about me."

Cornelia gasped at the cold tone of his voice. Lelouch glanced back at her. "What about Nunnally? Is she alright? Earlier I saw her legs had been bleeding—", Lelouch paused as Cornelia placed a hand on his shoulders. Lelouch grimaced.

"There's some... complications but Nunnally is alive. She's currently at the hospital at the moment. You want to visit her?" asked Cornelia as Lelouch nodded his head.

xxx

There were a lot of strange machines around her. And most of her legs had been bandaged. There were also a lot of wires placed on her body.

Lelouch bit his lips as he watched Nunnally helplessly lying on the bed, eyes covered with bandages. He was not allowed to enter the Intensive Care Unit where they were placing her in so he could only watch from outside of the glass windows. He could not sit beside her now, offering comfort or do anything for his only sister. He could do nothing!

Just like he could do nothing to save his mother and watched her body lying on the floor, lifeless. He could not even stop the assassin from shooting at Nunnally's legs, much less do anything worthy.

Why should he be the only one left unhurt?

Lelouch jumped as a hand grabbed his shoulders. He looked up as Schneizel greeted him. He glanced behind him to see Cornelia, Clovis, Euphie—and no one else. Lelouch sighed as glanced back towards Nunnally's ward. He bit his lips again as he tried to ignore the sudden hurt he felt growing in his heart.

Schneizel glanced down towards him.

"Anything wrong, Lulu?"

Lelouch blinked towards him as a stray tear leaked out from eyes. The boy started covering his face with his arm as Euphie peered beside him.

"Are you okay, Lulu—?"

More tears started to flow as Lelouch started to cry openly. Clovis frowned at this as he nudged the boy roughly.

"Stop crying!"

Lelouch glared at his older brother as he wiped his face again. "Shut up, it's not like I wanted to cry so much! Idiot Clovis!"

"Don't call me an idiot! Just because you always beat me in chess—and anyway it's not like crying could—", Clovis paused as Lelouch continued glaring at him. Schneizel and Cornelia started to try breaking the tension between the two as both refused to back off. The tension broke anyhow as Lelouch started to hiccup a lot. Lelouch glanced sideways as he tried to hide his embarrassment.

Cornelia sighed. But at least Lelouch had stopped crying. She leaned over him.

"What's wrong?"

Lelouch glanced towards his other brothers and Euphie before creeping nearer towards Cornelia. Cornelia blinked as Lelouch whispered near her ears.

"He's not here—"

Cornelia blinked as she straightened herself. She sighed as she realized what her little brother had meant and hit herself mentally. There was nothing that she could do after all. Cornelia shrugged helplessly as she patted the little boy's head. She turned to look at Euphie as the little girl watched Nunnally from afar in concern through the glass windows. Cornelia smiled fondly as Euphie walked towards Lelouch to comfort him.

At least in kindness, they could offer to this child in these moments of despair.

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az: posting this and probably gonna work out the third chapter unless the fourth real chapter of Shadow sun didn"t come out first.


	3. Chapter 3: Abandoned

az: Gonna be alternating between writing this with Shadow Sun, depending on which chapter plot ended/done first. Being this one. As the chapter turned out good then I"ll type it and post it. For that, I thank yer all for reading this.

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Disclaimer: Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch is copyrighted by Sunrise as well as character designs by CLAMP. I'm only borrowing the fandom for the sake of the fic and the love of it.

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Buried Soul

Chapter 3: Abandoned

By honou-no-izumi alias Izzu alias Izumi Ishtar

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Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The procession that was a part of the ceremony for his mother's funeral seemed to be taking too long. He had been walking aimlessly during the procession. If it had not been for Schneizel leading him by his side, he would have strayed far from the procession. Then again, even if he wanted to he could not. He should not show any weakness to the outsiders. Even towards his relatives.

He realized it because each of his other sides of relatives, the families of his father's other wives; were very competitive of each other. All had their own personal political issues against each other. All were determined to outshine each other in order to be chosen to be the next successor to the Britannian throne. To do that, they would do anything in their power to achieve their means. He had thought about it. His mother's death; might have been because of the power struggle in this royal family. That would make a lot of sense. That would explain the reason as to how that assassin could have easily entered and attacked their mansion.

It frustrated him that the incident had been passed off as a terrorist attack. That was ridiculous! How could a mere terrorist group have entered the palace so easily? The palace area had more guards guarding it than all of the rest of the Britannian embassy of each of the country's colonies. Before they could step a foot onto the palace, the whole artillery would have been spent on them; leaving no one surviving. But the assassin that had killed his mother as well as the unlucky nobles and servants that had crossed his way had managed to get in and out of the place without any scratch! It was very suspicious to not assume that there were no insiders involved in the incident. Why aren't any investigations being done? Why did everyone accepted the story on the terrorist attack so easily? Was it because his mother being just a commoner? That her life wasn't worth much? Then how—

Lelouch jumped a little as he looked up towards his half-brother Schneizel. He gestured towards him and Lelouch turned towards the sight before him. The casket had already been lowered into the hole in the ground and the janitor had been staring at him expectantly. It was then Lelouch remembered the two stalks of white roses that he had been holding on.

It was that time already.

Lelouch took a long breath as he mechanically stepped forward and threw the two stalks of flowers towards the casket. One represented him; the other one for Nunnally, who could not attend the funeral. He stepped back as the rest of the nobles copied his actions.

He felt Cornelia's presence behind him as she placed her hands on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. He looked up as he noticed the sad look mirrored in Cornelia and Schneizel's faces. Even Clovis seemed troubled; he was probably not comfortable to attending funerals. He glanced down again as Euphie held his hand. At least he still had someone to depend on. He realized that he was not as close to his other half-brothers and half-sister but at least... he could depend on the ones that were with him now for support. At least... for now.

Until he could find his own strength...

xxx

"Lelouch... enough. Let's get home."

Lelouch blinked as he turned around towards Cornelia. This one half-sister of his did appear very concerned over him. Then again she did love and cared for the rest of their extended family, regardless for the fact that the only connection the siblings had with each other was through their father. Well, except Euphie of course... they were, after all having the same mothers. But he could understand that. That's the same as his love over his only true sister, Nunnally.

This line of thought started to dampen his spirit once more as Lelouch wondered about Cornelia's feelings over the rest of the royal family. As well as Schneizel and Clovis respectively. Had they been sincere—wait, why did he think this way, of course they—! He had lived and spent his childhood with them. They couldn't possibly—but then, why would anybody wanted to hurt his mother?

Come to think he never get to know more or spent time with his other step-mothers. Much because either they had already deceased or had refused to acknowledge any other children of the Emperor other than their own. Could the culprit be amongst them? But then the list of suspects would be too big. And he did not have powerful enough power to—

Wait. There was someone with such power. But... why? Why did he do absolutely nothing?

"Lelouch?"

He blinked, now realising that he caught the attention of not only Cornelia but his half-brother Schneizel as well. The man cast him a look of concern as Lelouch dismissed the concern. The man sighed as he ushered the little boy to follow him home.

xxx

"Announcing the arrival of Lord Lelouch Vi Britannia, the seventeenth in line to the Imperial throne of the Britannian Empire."

The great doors opened before him as Lelouch entered the hall. He told no one of his closest siblings about this decision. There was something that he felt that he should find out by himself. His need to know the answers to the questions that kept troubling his mind. This decision had been rashly made on his behalf but what else should he do? He could not anymore stand silent while trying to remain strong against this fate that had become of him and Nunnally with these uncertainties and doubts still clouding his thoughts.

With these thoughts, he kept walking forwards towards the direction of the emperor's podium as the cold atmosphere inside the hall started to make him uncomfortable. As he continued his slow march towards his father's place, he could clearly hear the whispers among the present nobles.

"I heard that Queen Marianne was murdered in the capital" said one of the nobles as Lelouch bit his lips to stop himself from saying anything. "It's not a place where terrorist could enter easily—"

Lelouch restrained the urge to laugh as he countered the nobles' words inside his head. Of course the palace area had been heavily guarded. There was no reason that any terrorist could have sneaked in. Unless they received some help...

"—then the true suspect is?" said another of the nobles, acting as if he hadn't heard it. Well go on, thought Lelouch. Go on and make your own speculations! I wouldn't pay any attention to that.

"My, how frightening. The very thought of it scares me."

Lelouch bit his lips again at how fake the concern underlining those words sounded. He felt like being placed on a podium to be stared and laughed at. It was so overwhelming that he wanted to get out of this. But no, he had decided on this. There was something that he must find out the answers for.

"However, even thought his mother has been killed, he shows remarkable strength—"

Lelouch almost stopped on his tracks. So now they were talking about him instead—?

"—but Lord Lelouch has no standing anymore—"

"—the Ashford family, which supported him, is also finished."

Doubts suddenly overwhelmed him. He had never received any bad treatment from his father before, other than the usual political related matters that sometimes involved or endangered him or Nunnally. Those were the times when their mother was still alive when she could still protect them. To this realization, he started doubting his actions before becoming resolute again and continued forward. He had already stepped over the edge; he had got to go through it till the end.

The nobles started discussing over what had happened on Nunnally as Lelouch ignored them. He had already known of those facts that the nobles were discussing. And the fact that they were discussing it casually made him mad. Nunnally was more than just a political tool!

Lelouch stopped just before the podium as he stood at attention.

"Your majesty, my mother has passed away—" said Lelouch as he stood boldly before his father.

"And what about it?" asked the emperor as Lelouch took the reply with much alarm.

"What about it?" he exclaimed aloud.

"Did you request an audience from the Imperial Emperor just to say that?" said the emperor in a very cold tone. He shrugged as he turned towards the man standing beside him. "Bring in the next one. I do not have the time to play with children—"

"Father!" Lelouch cried in alarm as he walked up the podium for several steps. The two guards that stood nearby immediately rushed over towards the emperor as his father waved at them to back off. The guards stood back as Lelouch cried aloud.

"Why did you not protect mother? You are the emperor. The greatest person in this country, are you not? You should have been able to protect her! At the very least you could have visited Nunnally!" shouted Lelouch as the emperor remained silent. He noticed that his father appeared a bit troubled as he hoped that his words could reach him. Nunnally needed his presence now. If only his father would come to see her, perhaps—Perhaps Nunnally would be able to gather her spirit to be well again! The doctor did say something about the sickness of the heart. He did not want Nunnally to continue thinking that no one else wanted her. He do not want her to lose hope to continue living. He could not do this on his own!

_Please... father!_

"I have no use for the weak—", the unexpected reply came from his father as it left him stunned.

"The weak?" Lelouch exclaimed in surprise. He could not believe what he heard right now. There was no way—he couldn't be thinking that way, could he? They were his children, damn it! They were his flesh and blood—he shouldn't... he can't! Please do not tell him that his father do not think of the rest of the royal family as well as his own children and wives as... pawns?

"That is the true nature of the imperial family—", said the emperor again as if to answer the questions forming in his mind.

"Then I... do not need to be a successor to the throne!" cried the young prince abruptly to the surprise of the present group of nobles.

He never thought he could say it so recklessly like this. But that was his true feelings. He had only wanted a normal family. He never asked to be a royal prince. Is that too much to ask? His mother... Nunnally... they were not mere pawns!

"I have had enough of following you and being caught up in conflict!" he spoke again as the reply he received made his heart ran cold.

"You are dead."

Lelouch gave a small cry as that sentence took him by surprise.

"—you had been dead since the day you were born. Who gave you those clothes that you wear on your back right now? Your home, your food, even your life... I am the one who gave all of that to you. In other words, you have not even once truly been alive! And yet... you show such insolence?-!" shouted the emperor as suddenly as he rose from the throne. The sudden movement surprised him too much as Lelouch backed away and fell on the floor. The young prince looked up towards his father in horror as the emperor towered over him menacingly.

"Lelouch..." drawled the emperor as Lelouch felt shivers running all over his family. "A dead person like you has no rights. You will go to Japan with Nunnally. As a prince and princess, you will be good trading material."

Lelouch blinked in horror. He never expected to hear—he immediately bit his lips as he glared towards his father. No... he refused to call him father anymore!

He rose as he kept his glare towards the emperor.

"Very well! If that's what you want it to be!" he shouted back before turning around towards the door. Lelouch marched away out of the halls as he threw away his cape in anger and frustration.

As she watched him left so abruptly, young Euphemia picked up her brother's cape as she worried about his fate...

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az: Fixed some formatting glitches.


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